WBCS Current Affairs 23/04/2017 to 29/04/2017- WBCSMadeEasy

The Importance of Current Affairs in W.B.C.S examinations is immense.Success inW.B.C.S  Prelims and W.B.C.S Mains Exam is mainly subjected to how well an aspirant is aware of the important current affairs. Preparation of current affairs for W.B.C.S is the key to unlock the exam.Continue Reading WBCS Current Affairs 23/04/2017 to 29/04/2017- WBCSMadeEasy.

1. From May 4, Bhilar, a tiny hamlet in Satara district of Maharashtra is all set to become India’s first ‘book village’. The concept of book village is inspired by Britain’s Hay-on-Wye, which is a Welsh town located in the United Kingdom, famous for its bookstores and literature festivals.Continue Reading WBCS Current Affairs 23/04/2017 to 29/04/2017- WBCSMadeEasy.

2. The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) will conduct ‘Oorja’ – CAPFs Under-19 Football Talent Hunt Tournament – 2017, throughout the country from May 1-15, 2017. The tournament will be jointly organized by CAPF under the aegis of All India Police Sports Control Board. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will conduct the tournament in Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Goa and the Union Territories of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu. Bruno Coutinho, an Arjuna Awardee, has been made as the brand ambassador for Oorja -2017 in Goa. Background India will be hosting FIFA Under – 19 World Cup in October 2017. At this juncture, Prime Minister has called for encouraging boys and girls to play football and develop both skill and fitness. To encourage the sport, Mission XI Million programme has been launched.

3. India has successfully carried out a fresh user trial of Agni-III ballistic missile from a defence test facility in the Abdul Kalam Island. The Strategic Forces Command carried out the test with logistics support from Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO). The objective of the test was to re-establish the operational effectiveness of the weapon system. Agni III was inducted into the armed forces in June 2011. Already several successful tests have been conducted making the missile a foolproof and a proven missile.

4. Union Health Minister JP Nadda has launched the Test and Treat policy for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) patients. As per this new policy, anyone who is tested and found positive will get the necessary treatment free of cost. Anyone found positive will be provided with ART (Anti- Retroviral Therapy) irrespective of his CD count. The scheme will be a centrally sponsored scheme. All men, women, adolescents and children who have been diagnosed positively can benefit under this new policy. HIV destroys the CD4 T cells in the human body and weakens the immunity levels. A person who has CD4 cell count below 200 is considered to be at significant risk of developing serious illnesses. Before the announcement of this new policy, the government was providing free treatment to people with a count of 400 and below.

5. North Korea has test-fired a ballistic missile defying global pressure and warnings from the United States and its main ally, China. The test was conducted from the Pukchang region present in the north of the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. However, according to the US and South Korean officials, the test has failed and it is North Korea’s fourth successive unsuccessful missile test since March. The missile launched is expected to be a medium-range weapon known as a KN-17 and appears to have disintegrated within minutes of taking off.

6. Kerala has conducted the country’s first-ever transgender one-day athletic meet in Thiruvananthapuram. The event saw the participation of 132 participants belonging to 12 districts of the state. No participant representing Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts participated in the event. The event was jointly organised by Kerala sports council and Sexual Gender Minority Federation of Kerala. In the competition, six events were conducted, namely, 100 metres, 200 metres, and 400 metres running; 100x 4 relay race, high jump and shot put.

7. A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between BBNL, Department of Posts and BSNL to provide broadband connectivity of BharatNet to Post Offices in rural areas. BSNL would provide broadband services. The infrastructure expenses and the operational expenses would be paid by the Department of Posts. BBNL would facilitate and coordinate the entire project. BharatNet BharatNet is Centre’s rural internet connectivity programme which is implemented by Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL). It is world’s largest rural broadband connectivity programme using Optical fibre. Bharat Net seeks to connect all of India’s households, particularly the rural areas, through demand, affordable broadband connectivity of 2 Mbps to 20 Mbps to realise the vision of Digital India. The project is being funded by Universal service Obligation Fund (USOF). The three-phase implementation under the BharatNet project is: Under the first phase, one lakh gram panchayats would be provided connectivity by laying underground optic fibre cable (OFC) lines by March 2017. This phase is nearing its completion. Under the second phase, connectivity will be provided to all 2,50,500 gram panchayats in the country. It is to be completed by December 2018. Under the third phase from 2018 to 2023, state-of-the-art, future-proof network, including fiber between districts and blocks would be created.

8. The US Trade Representative’s (USTR) office has once again placed India on the ‘priority watch’ list in this year’s Special 301 report despite the country rolling out National IPR Policy last year. India has been placed in ‘priority watch’ list owing to USTR’s view that India has not made adequate changes in its intellectual property (IP) laws and regulations. India has been placed on the ‘Priority Watch List’ for decades now and is likely to remain in the ‘Priority Watch List’ category for having inadequate IPR laws and patent protection.

9. India and Cyprus have signed four agreements following delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades in New Delhi. The two sides discussed various bilateral and regional issues and agreed on the need on the part of all countries to act decisively against those countries that shelter and sustain violence factories in their regions. The two sides also called for the need for early reforms of the United Nations Security Council. Cyprus reiterated its support to India’s bid for inclusion a permanent member in the UNSC. Cyprus will also award its highest civilian honour, the Grand Collar of the Order of Makarios III, on President Pranab Mukherjee.

10. Poland has assured its support for India’s bid for membership in the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and a permanent seat in the expanded UN Security Council. This was stated during the visit of vice President Hamid Ansari to the Poland. Apart from discussing various bilateral and multilateral issues, the two countries also signed an agreement in the agriculture sector. It was also agreed upon that there exists scope to increase cooperation in railway, defence, mining, agriculture, civil aviation, as well as in areas like food processing, solar energy, clean coal, treatment of solid waste. Poland is a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

11. The country’s first electric taxi trial in the country would be launched in Nagpur from May 24. The first project of its kind will be undertaken by Nagpur Municipal Corporation. Mahindra and Mahindra is set to provide 200 taxis for the initiative.

12. The Home Ministry has planned to raise an all-woman India Reserve Battalion (IRB) in Jammu and Kashmir. The decision has been taken in the wake of girl students throwing stones at security forces in Srinagar a few days ago. The all-woman battalion will be one among the five IRBs that has been sanctioned by the Central government for the State last year. The decision was taken after the Home Minister reviewed various developmental and infrastructure projects in the State. The all-woman battalion’s major role would be to tackle protesters. Apart from that, it would also be assigned other law and order duties. The cost of raising battalions would be Rs. 61 crore and 75% of the expenditure will be borne by the union government.

13. Bhubaneswar has become the first Indian city to win Pierre L’enfant International Planning excellence award-2017 instituted by the American Planning Association (APA). Bhubaneswar has been chosen for its good and advanced town planning and engaging its residents in the planning process. The APA Awards jury has selected Five Excellence Award recipients in total who will be honoured at the Awards Luncheon at APA’s National Planning Conference in New York on May 8.

14. UNESCO to screen Rahul V. Chittella’s short film “Azaad” as a part of World Press Freedom Day event that is scheduled to be held from May 1-4 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The movie is about the dysfunctional relationship between a father and his son. World Press Freedom Day is celebrated by UNESCO to celebrate the principle of freedom of the press. The theme for this year’s edition of World Press Freedom Day is “Critical Minds for Critical Times: Media’s role in advancing peaceful, just and inclusive societies“.

15. Recently, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft completed its final close flyby of Saturn’s moon Titan and has now started its final set of 22 orbits before plunging into Saturn on September 15, 2017, and thus completing its 20-year long journey. Already, Cassini has dived successfully through the space between Saturn and its rings, a region no spacecraft has been before. It will perform another 21 dives through the same gap and will send more detailed information about Saturn and its rings. These series of 22 manoeuvres that brings Cassini closer to Saturn’s surface before plunging into it is called as the spacecraft’s “grand finale.” The spacecraft will provide the radar team with the final set of new images of the hydrocarbon seas and lakes that are present in Titan’s North Polar Region.

16. US President Donald Trump has introduced biggest tax reform plan in the history of United States. As per the proposals of the new plan, major cuts have been made in the income tax rate. the income tax rates have been slashed from 39.6% to 35%. The new plan has also sharply slashed the business taxes. Steep discounts have been announced on corporate profits that are brought back into the US. The new plan proposes for a 15% corporate tax rate which is a sharp drop from the existing 35%. In addition, the new reforms aim to move to a territorial tax system that provides relief to both small and large businesses. It is also proposed to repeal the estate tax, the alternative minimum tax. In addition, tax relief will be provided to the families with child and dependent care expenses. Further, the number of tax brackets is expected to be brought down to three from seven. However, under the US law, only the Congress is empowered to make major changes to the tax laws. Impact These reforms are hailed as the biggest tax cut and largest tax reform in the history of the United States. According to the economists, the new tax reforms are likely to add trillions of dollars to the deficit over the next decade. As far as India is concerned, the reforms are expected to further push up stock markets which have already responded positively.

17. Veteran actor and politician Vinod Khanna has expired at the age of 70. He was said to be suffering from cancer. Khanna is married twice and is survived by four children. Films Born on 6 October 1946, Khanna has featured in as many as 146 films. Some of his famous films are Mere Apne, Insaaf and Amar, Akbar, Anthony. He was last seen in 2015 in Shah Rukh Khan’s Dilwale. He made his debut in 1968 with Mann Ka Meet. Khanna has also won numerous awards, including the Filmfare award for best supporting actor and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999. In 1982 Khanna decided to quit the film industry at the peak time of his career to follow his spiritual guru Osho Rajneesh. Politics Khanna forayed into politics in 1997. In 1998, he got elected to the Lok Sabha from the Gurdaspur constituency in Punjab on a BJP ticket. He served as the Union minister for culture and tourism in 2002 under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. Later, he also became a minister of state in the Ministry of External Affairs. At the time of his death, he was a sitting Bharatiya Janata Party member of the Lok Sabha from the Gurdaspur constituency.

18. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) scheme from Jubbarhatti, an airport on the outskirts of Shimla. ‘Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik’ means ‘the common man flies’. He flagged of the first UDAN flight under Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) on Shimla-Delhi sector. UDAN flights on Kadapa–Hyderabad, and Nanded-Hyderabad sectors were also flagged off.

19. ISRO has launched a solar calculator app that can calculate the benefits of installing solar panels in different regions of the country. The app has been created by the Space Application Center (SAC) facility of ISRO following the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)’s request. The app comes handy for installation of Photovoltaic (PV) for tapping of solar energy. Salient features The App determines solar energy potential (in kWh/m2) at any given location, determination of which is important for setting up of photovoltaic thermal power plants. The user can key in the location or the app can get the location details through GPS. The app provides monthly and yearly solar potential by processing data obtained from Indian Geostationary Satellites (Kalpana-1, INSAT-3D and INSAT-3DR). The app provides information about the azimuth and elevation angles, and duration of day over different time periods in a year. It also calculates the obstruction of sunlight due to terrain by employing Digital Elevation Model (DEM). In addition, the app also suggests the optimum tilt angle for the installation of solar PV. The app provides information using tables and visuals. The complete report provided by the app can be saved by the user in the form of PDF. The app at present can be downloaded from ‘New and Renewable Energy’ section at vedas.sac.gov.in. SAC Space Applications Centre (SAC) is one of the major centres of ISRO. It was established in the year 1972. It primarily focuses on the design of space-borne instruments for ISRO missions. It also develops applications of space technology covering the fields of communication, broadcasting, navigation, disaster monitoring, meteorology, oceanography, environment monitoring and natural resources survey for societal benefits. It is headquartered in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

20. Srishti Kaur of India has been crowned Miss Teen Universe 2017 at Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. She won after beating 25 contestants from across the world. In addition, she also bagged an award for the best national costume. Her costume featured a peacock, the Indian national bird. She succeeds Nieveles Gonzalez of Puerto Rico as the Miss Teen Universe. Kaur had also won the title of Miss Teen Tiara International at the beginning of this year beating 29 contestants. Kaur, a resident of Noida is currently pursuing her education at London School of Fashion.

21. The Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has planned to build a new oil terminal at Motihari in Bihar to supply fuel to Nepal via the planned pipeline up to Amlekganj in Nepal. The old terminal functioning at Raxaul in Bihar will be shut down as it does not conform to the current OISD (Oil Industry Safety Directorate) guidelines. The decision to shift the terminal from Raxaul to Motihari has been taken keeping in mind the current safety guidelines.

22. IPS officer Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar has been appointed as the Director-General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The appointment has come two days after 25 CRPF personnel were ambushed by Naxals in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district. The CRPF was functioning without a head for the past two months after the retirement of K. Durga Prasad on February 28, 2017. Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar is a 1983 batch IPS officer belonging to the Uttar Pradesh cadre. He is the Director General of the Narcotics Control Bureau. In another key appointment, IPS officer R.K. Pachnanda has been named the director general of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). R.K. Pachnanda is a 1983 batch IPS officer of West Bengal cadre. He will take charge after the retirement of Krishna Chaudhary in June-end.

23. China has launched its first indigenously built aircraft carrier following the 68th-anniversary celebrations of the founding of the Chinese navy. It is China’s second aircraft carrier built in the north-eastern port of Dalian. The new aircraft carrier will be able to operate China’s Shenyang J-15 fighter jets and will be more dedicated to military and humanitarian operations. The design of the new aircraft carrier has been obtained from China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, which was bought second-hand from Ukraine in 1998 and refitted in China.

24. Belgium has become the first country to open an honorary consulate office in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Belgium already has two Consulates-General in Mumbai and Chennai, and an honorary consulate in Kolkata. The consulate was inaugurated by Belgian Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, Pieter De Crem. Hari Sankaran, Vice-Chairman and MD, Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS), has been nominated as Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Belgium to the state of Gujarat. Gujarat and Belgium have strong historic ties surrounding the diamond industry.

25. The International Road federation (IRF) has named India to be the host of the 18th World Road Meeting (WRM 2017). WRM 2017 will be held on November 13, 2017. The theme of this year’s WRM is ‘Safe Roads and Smart Mobility: The Engines of Economic Growth’. India has been chosen to hold this event to reflect the growing importance of the country as a market for transport infrastructure and services. India’s growing demand for surface transport and mobility requires massive investments in the transport infrastructure. The WRM will provide an important platform for potential investors to partner and participate in the immense opportunities that are made available by the country. In addition, it will also provide a platform for sharing cutting-edge research, best practices and experiences, from around the globe. The conference is expected to be attended by over 4,000 delegates across the world and will include plenary sessions with eminent and well-known speakers discussing important issues facing mobility sector.

26. Shot putter Manpreet Kaur broke her own 2015 national record at the Asian Grand Prix in Jinhua, China. Her performance in the event has helped her to earn a gold medal and qualify for the World Championships to be held in London in August 2017. Her outstanding performance in the first leg of the Asian Grand Prix has helped her to reach No 1 spot in the world rankings. Manpreet kaur’s performance at the event was overwhelming. Her throw is adjudged as the best by any shotputter this year. In addition, her throw was 32 centimeters more than the Rio Olympic gold medallist Michelle Carter. Kaur had become the first Indian woman to qualify for the shot put event at the Rio Olympics. But she managed to finish only 23rd in Rio.

27. new Iconic places under the Phase II of Swachh Iconic Places initiative. Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) is an initiative of Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation under Swachh Bharat Mission. The ten new iconic places that will be undertaken in Phase II of Swachh Iconic Places initiative are: Gangotri, Yamunotri. Mahakaleshwar Temple (Ujjain), Char Minar (Hyderabad), Church and Convent of St. Francis of Assissi (Goa), Adi Shankaracharya’s abode Kaladi in Ernakulam, Gomateshwar in Shravanbelgola, Baijnath Dham (Devghar), Gaya Tirth (Bihar) and Somnath temple in Gujarat. The ten Iconic places that are already under implementation in Phase I are: Ajmer Sharif Dargah, CST Mumbai, Golden Temple (Amritsar), Kamakhya Temple (Assam), Maikarnika Ghat (Varanasi), Meenakshi Temple (Madurai) Shri Mata Vaishno Devi (Katra, J&K), Shree Jagannath Temple (Puri), The Taj Mahal (Agra), Tirupati Temple (Tirumala). The aim of this initiative is to make these places intensely clean and transform them as model ‘Swachh Tourist Destinations’, that will enhance the experience of visitors from India and abroad.

28. Joint operational doctrine aimed at providing deeper operational synergies among the tri-services was unveiled by the chairman of the chiefs of staff committee (COSC) and Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba in presence of Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat and IAF Chief B S Dhanoa. The doctrine is aimed at coherently dealing with all possible security threats faced by India such as conventional and proxy wars. This document is the second edition of the joint doctrine. The first edition of the document was released around eight years ago.

29. The international conference on “Dara Shikoh: Reclaiming Spiritual Legacy of India” will be held on April 27 and 28. The conference will be organised by the Indian Council Of Cultural Relations (ICCR). The conference will see the participation of eminent scholars from the US, Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and India. The objective of the conference is to highlight Dara Shikoh’s contributions to bring about spiritual homogenisation of Hinduism and Islam and his initiatives in building a cohesive social and cultural edifice in India.

30. Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management-Kerala (IIITM-K) has launched an application named Kaapi Soil Health Management and Monitoring (Kshemam) app to provide soil nutrient information and fertiliser recommendation for coffee plantation owners. The app will help in proper identification of optimum levels of fertiliser use.

31. Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd (GNFC) has won the prestigious Golden Globe Tigers Award for Excellence and Leadership in CSR for the year 2017 in the category of ‘E-Payment Leadership’. GNFC has been awarded for the implementation of digital transactions in its township at Bharuch (Gujarat). Award was given to GNFC at Golden Globe Tigers Night 2017 held at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The event saw the participation of global CSR leaders from over 43 countries. This is the second award for GNFC in this category. It has already won the Golden Peacock Award for its cashless innovation.

32. In order to give more freedom to farmers to sell their produce, the agriculture ministry has unveiled “The State/UT Agricultural Produce and Livestocks Marketing (promotion and facilitation) Act, 2017” which has defined each state/UT as a single unified market area. The draft law is proposed to overhaul the existing laws. So far 26 states and Union Territories, including Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, have fully or partly modified their APMC laws. Other than Bihar, all other states/UTs have agreed to adopt the model Act. Salient Highlights The model act proposes to curb the role of APMC mandis. The existing APMC mandis are allowed to enforce regulation only in their market yard and thus encouraging private sector players to set up mandis. Traders would be able to transact in all markets within a state by paying a single fee. The model law on agricultural marketing would introduce features like single market within a state, private wholesale markets, direct sale by farmers to bulk buyers, and promotion of electronic trading etc. As agricultural marketing is a state subject and is governed by their respective Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Acts, the states are free to adopt portions or the entire model act. The state governments as per the draft law are required to appoint an independent entity ‘director of agricultural marketing’ who would function as a sole authority to grant the licence for the establishment of a new market yard in the state concerned. The new Act proposes to put a cap on mandi taxes at 1% for foodgrain and 2% for fruits and vegetables as well as commission agent’s levy at 2% of the total transaction cost. Need Due to the monopoly of APMCs, farmers do not have a choice to sell their farm produce to multiple buyers. The model act will provide several marketing channels to sell agricultural produce. The model act aims to liberalize trade in farm produce and aid better price realization for farmers.

33. The World Health Organization has announced that it is ready to test the first malaria vaccine in the real world setting in 2018. The aim of the testing will be to ascertain whether the vaccine will work under real world circumstances or not. Kenya, Ghana and Malawi have been chosen for taking part in the pilot project.

34. The central government has informed the Supreme Court that it intends to provide unique identification number for cows as suggested by an expert committee to track cattle and prevent their trafficking

35. Northeast’s sixth and largest hub for information technology has been inaugurated in Agartala. The hub has been set up at a cost of Rs 50 crore to boost employment and e-governance besides export of software technology. The hub is expected to create more employment opportunities for the youths and extend the e-governance to cover all the people of the region. This would facilitate famous IT companies to set off their business and services and boost export of software technology. This will be the largest hub in the region. Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), under the union Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology, helped the state government in setting up of the hub by sharing the technological knowledge. In the new IT hub, ready-to-use incubation space will be made available that can be used by the start-up companies, aspiring entrepreneurs, Indian and multi-national companies as per their needs and requirements. Last year, Tripura got an award for its performance in IT and e-governance from the central government. The state has already extended many e-governance based facilities and services up to the level of gram panchayats. The e-district scheme in the state helps people in getting various certificates and documents from their concerned panchayats or blocks. It is estimated that the state’s 80 percent of the state’s 37 lakh population have begun to use mobile phones leading to an IT boom.

36. Astronaut Peggy Whitson has set a new space record for most days in space by a US astronaut. She has broken the previous record set by Jeff Williams who had spent a total of 534 days in space. President Trump congratulated her through a video chat between White House and the ISS. Peggy Whitson, at present, is serving as the Space Station Commander of Expedition 51. She was recently launched to the ISS in November 2016 using a Russian Soyuz capsule. At the time of her launch, she had already accumulated 377 total days in space. At the time of her return back to Earth, she would have accumulated more than 600 days in space.

37. India’s first and longest ropeway is planned to be constructed by the Mumbai Port Trust to link Mumbai with the famous Elephanta Island in the Arabian Sea. Elephanta Island has got global recognition for its famed Elephanta Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The 8-km long ropeway will start from Sewri in Mumbai’s east coast and end at Elephanta Island at Raigad district. The 40-minute ride by a 20-seater cable car is expected to boost tourism as it offers a magnificent view of mudflats on the east coast especially during the flamingo season, the mangroves as well as the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link to the north. At present, the islands are accessible only by ferries from the mainland and takes around an hour for the 10-km cruise. Other details like the cable height and capacity of cars are being worked out. Elephanta Island Elephanta Island is a 16 sq. km island that has several archaeological remains famous for its cave sculptures. The island is locally known as Gharapuri Caves. It is located in Mumbai Harbour, east of Mumbai, Maharashtra. The island is believed to be inhabited from 2nd century BC but the famous temples carved out of rocks are believed to have been constructed around 5th-6th century AD. The island has a dam to conserve freshwater collected during monsoons and two British-era canons atop a hill that offers a panoramic view of Mumbai. The much famed two-day Elephanta Cultural Festival is organised by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation in winters. At present, the island is inhabited by around 1,200 residents. The inhabitants are mostly fisherfolk and farmers who live in three tiny port villages called Rajbandar, Shentbandar and Morabandar. Tourists, however, are not permitted to have an overnight stay at the island as it is covered with thick forests.

38. Veteran filmmaker and actor Kasinadhuni Viswanath has been conferred Dadasaheb Phalke award for 2016 by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. The award consists of a Swarn Kamal (Golden Lotus), a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakhs and a shawl. K Viswanath Viswanath was born in February 1930 in Andhra Pradesh. As a director he has made fifty films on varied themes of art, music and dance. In 1992, he received Padmashri Award for his contribution to film making. He has also won 5 National Awards, 20 Nandi Awards of Andhra Pradesh government, 10 Filmfare Awards including Lifetime Achievement Award. Dadasaheb Phalke Award The award is conferred by the Union Government for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema. The Award was established in 1969 to commemorate the birth centenary year of father of Indian cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke. It is the highest official recognition (award) in Indian cinema. It is given on the basis of recommendations of a committee of eminent personalities set up by the government.

39. Hindi film ‘Newton’ has won the Jury Prize for Best Film at the Hong Kong International Film Festival. Earlier, the film had its world premiere at Berlinale and got its first global recognition by winning the Art Cinema award for the Forum section at Berlinale. The film also went to 16th Annual Tribeca Film Festival. Newton is a political comedy film directed by Amit Masurkar. The story revolves around a clerk on election duty in a conflict-ridden region of Chhattisgarh. The movie was shot in the jungles of Chattisgarh.

40. According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri), India has become world’s fifth-largest military spender spending at $55.9 billion in 2016. The US remains the world’s largest military followed by China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia. The other prominent spenders in the top 15 include Japan, South Korea, and Australia.

41. Social activist Prafulla Samantra was announced one among six winners of the Goldman Environmental Prize for his “historic 12-year legal battle that affirmed the indigenous Dongria Kondh’s land rights and protected the Niyamgiri Hills from a massive, open-pit aluminum ore mine.” The other five winners for this year are: Mark Lopez (United States); Uroš Macerl (Slovenia); Rodrigo Tot (Guatemala); Rodrigue Katembo (Democratic Republic of Congo); and Wendy Bowman (Australia). Prafulla Samantra is a trained lawyer and has been involved in activism since the Jayprakash Narayan-movement. He was an iconic leader responsible for rallying tribes in Niyamgiri region of Odisha and made use of legal provisions to block mining-to-metals conglomerate Vedanta from setting up a bauxite mine there. Samantara was the first citizen to use law to halt the mining operations of Vedanta. As a result of his efforts, the company has been forced to suspend mining of bauxite from that region. In its April 18, 2013, historic judgment, Supreme Court empowered local communities to have the final say in mining projects on their land. Subsequently, village councils of the Niyamgiri Hills unanimously voted against the mine. In August 2015, Vedanta announced the closure of its aluminium refinery in that region. Samantara is only the sixth Indian to win the prize after Medha Patkar, M.C. Mehta, Rasheeda Bi, Champaran Shukla and Ramesh Agrawal since 1990 when the award was first instituted. Goldman Environmental Prize The Goldman Environmental Prize was created in 1990 to honour grassroots environmentalists undertaking risk to their lives for the cause of protecting the environment. The award is given to six persons, one from six geographical regions of the world, namely, Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, North America, and South & Central America. The prize is given by Goldman Environmental Foundation having its headquarters in San Francisco. The prize is also called as the Green Nobel.

42. Haryana emerged champion beating Kerala at the National Youth Athletics Meet. Kerala was at the top place for the last five years. Haryana emerged champions with 166.5 points. Kerala has finished as the runners-up. However, Kerala managed to retain the team crown for girls while Haryana boys topped and won the boys’ title.

43. In India, April 24th is celebrated as National Panchayati Raj Diwas every year. This day marks the passing of the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 that came into force with effect from 24 April 1993. The passage of 73rd amendment is hailed as a defining moment in history as it permits states to take steps to organize village panchayats and provide them with necessary powers and authority necessary to facilitate them to function as units of self-government. Every year on this day Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj organises National Conference and awards best performing Gram Panchayats with ‘The Panchayat Shashakatikaran Puraskar/Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar’. Background The first National Panchayati Raj Day was celebrated in 2010. The 73rd Amendment 1992 added a new Part IX to the constitution titled “The Panchayats” covering provisions from Article 243 to 243(O); and a new Eleventh Schedule covering 29 subjects within the functions of the Panchayats. 73rd amendment implements the article 40 of the DPSP which says that “State shall take steps to organise village panchayats and endow them with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as units of self-government.”

44. A freight train connecting Russia with China arrived in Ganzhou an inland city in Jiangxi province, carrying goods from Moscow. The freight train travelled more than 7,000 km, before reaching Ganzhou in eastern China.

45. India has become world’s second largest LPG importer, a position that was previously occupied by Japan. China remains as the world’s top importer. According to Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell, LPG imports in the country has increased 23% during the financial year 2016-2017 to about 11 million tonnes. The main reason behind the increase in the consumption of LPG in India is due to the two government schemes coupled with free gas connections. From May 2016, the government is providing free cooking gas connections to women from extremely poor households, to reduce the use of polluting fuels such as wood and dried cow dung. This has increased India’s active LPG users to about 200 million, which is 60% more than Japan’s entire population. According to the World Health Organization, polluting fuels used for cooking purposes results in 1.3 million premature deaths in India every year. India has set an ambitious target of increasing LPG usage to cover 80% of the households by March 2019. As per the present estimates of the oil ministry, demand for fuel will touch 35 million tonnes by 2031-32 in India. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) PMUY was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May 2016 with the tagline of Swachh Indhan, Behtar Jeevan. The scheme’s motive is to provide free of cost LPG (cooking gas) connections to women from BPL Households. The scheme seeks to empower women and protect their health by shifting them from traditional cooking based on unclean cooking fuels or on fossil fuels to clean cooking gas. It is being implemented by Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The scheme will be implemented over three years’ time period until the financial year 2018-19.

46. China has successfully docked its first cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-1 with the Tiangong-2 space lab. It is hailed as a major step towards China’s ambition of establishing a permanently manned space station by 2022. China has an ambitious plan of building a permanent space station by 2022, that will be in the orbit for at least 10 years. Tiangong-2 (Heavenly Palace 2) space lab was home to two astronauts for a month in last October. T It was China’s longest-ever manned space mission. iangong-2 was put up into space on September 15, 2016.China has prioritised advancing its space programme to strengthen national security.

47. The World Bank has approved a loan of $375 million (around Rs 2,421 crore) for capacity augmentation of National Waterway-1 (NW-1) between Haldia in West Bengal and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on the river Ganga under the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP). The project would enable commercial navigation of vessels of 1,500-2,000 deadweight tonnes capacity along a 1,390-km stretch.

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